هاتِ اِسقِني طالَ بِيَ الحَبسُ

هاتِ اِسقِني طالَ بِيَ الحَبسُ

مِن قَهوَةٍ بائِعُها وَكسُ

مِن قَهوَةٍ بائِعُها وَكسُ

Bring it, give me a drink—my confinement has been long—

Bring me some coffee, my imprisonment craves it

Of wine whose seller is a base fellow,

From a seller whose coffeepot is impeccably clean

زِقِيَّةُ الدارِ رُصافِيَّةٌ

زِقِيَّةُ الدارِ رُصافِيَّةٌ

أَغلى بِها الشَمّاسُ وَالقَسُّ

أَغلى بِها الشَمّاسُ وَالقَسُّ

Wineskin-housed, from Rusafa,

The patroness of this house is most pure

For which the deacon and the priest set a high price.

The deacon and priest hold her coffee dear

كَأَنَّها في الكَأسِ ياقوتَةٌ

كَأَنَّها في الكَأسِ ياقوتَةٌ

وَهيَ إِذا ما مُزِجَت وَرسُ

وَهيَ إِذا ما مُزِجَت وَرسُ

In the cup it is like a ruby,

Her coffee in the cup is like a ruby

And when mixed, it is yellow wars-dye.

And when it is mixed and settled

في مَجلِسٍ لِلقَصفِ رَيحانُهُ

في مَجلِسٍ لِلقَصفِ رَيحانُهُ

عَينُ المَها وَالبَقَرُ اللُعسُ

عَينُ المَها وَالبَقَرُ اللُعسُ

In a gathering for revelry, whose sweet basil is

Its aroma fills a gathering place

The oryx's eye and dark-lipped wild cattle.

More appealing than a doe's eye or a docile cow

وَغادَةٍ كَالبَدرِ مَمكورَةٍ

وَغادَةٍ كَالبَدرِ مَمكورَةٍ

خالَطَني مِن حُبِّها مَسُّ

خالَطَني مِن حُبِّها مَسُّ

And a tender maiden, like the full moon, round-limbed—

And a full moon like beauty mixed for me

From love of her, a touch of madness has seized me.

Some of her love's touch

أَلسِنَةُ الشَربِ إِذا ما جَرَت

أَلسِنَةُ الشَربِ إِذا ما جَرَت

كَأَنَّها أَلسِنَةٌ خُرسُ

كَأَنَّها أَلسِنَةٌ خُرسُ

The drinkers' tongues, whenever they run on,

When the tongues of drinking flow

Seem like tongues struck dumb.

They become like silent tongues

هارونُ بَدرٌ لِبَني هاشِمٍ

هارونُ بَدرٌ لِبَني هاشِمٍ

وَأُختُ هارونَ لَهُم شَمسُ

وَأُختُ هارونَ لَهُم شَمسُ

Harun is a full moon for the sons of Hashim,

Harun is a full moon for the Hashemites

And Harun's sister is their sun.

And Harun's sister is their sun

لا يَبرَحُ الزُوّارُ مِن بابِها

لا يَبرَحُ الزُوّارُ مِن بابِها

كَأَنَّما ضَمَّهُمُ عُرسُ

كَأَنَّما ضَمَّهُمُ عُرسُ

Visitors never leave her door,

The visitors never leave her door

As though a wedding feast had gathered them.

As if they were held by a wedding

حَلَلتِ في الذَروَةِ مِن هاشِمٍ

حَلَلتِ في الذَروَةِ مِن هاشِمٍ

طابَ لَها المَنبَتُ وَالغَرسُ

طابَ لَها المَنبَتُ وَالغَرسُ

You have settled at the summit of Hashim's line;

You descended from the heights of Hashem

Noble are its soil and its planting.

The crops and trees flourished for you

يا أُختَ هارونَ أَبوكِ الَّذي

يا أُختَ هارونَ أَبوكِ الَّذي

يَقصُرُ عَنهُ القَولُ وَالحَدسُ

يَقصُرُ عَنهُ القَولُ وَالحَدسُ

O sister of Harun, your father is the one

O sister of Harun, your father

Whom speech and conjecture cannot reach.

Exceeds all words and speculation

طابَ لَكِ العَيشُ عَلى يَومِهِ

طابَ لَكِ العَيشُ عَلى يَومِهِ

هَذا الَّذي يَحسُدُهُ أَمسُ

هَذا الَّذي يَحسُدُهُ أَمسُ

Life is sweet for you on his day,

Life was good to you each day

This day that yesterday envies.

Even yesterday envies this day

فَقَد فَصَدَ العِرقَ إِمامُ الهُدى

فَقَد فَصَدَ العِرقَ إِمامُ الهُدى

في ساعَةٍ جانَبَها النَحسُ

في ساعَةٍ جانَبَها النَحسُ

For the imam of guidance has opened a vein,

For the Imam of guidance tapped the spout

At an hour that ill fortune shunned,

In an hour avoided by bad omens

في مَجلِسٍ تَمَّت لَذاذاتُهُ

في مَجلِسٍ تَمَّت لَذاذاتُهُ

يَعجَزُ عَنهُ الجِنُّ وَالإِنسُ

يَعجَزُ عَنهُ الجِنُّ وَالإِنسُ

In a gathering whose delights were complete,

In a gathering whose pleasures were complete

Which jinn and humankind cannot match.

Confusing jinn and mankind

أَعقَبَهُ اللَهُ سُروراً بِهِ

أَعقَبَهُ اللَهُ سُروراً بِهِ

وَقَرَّتِ العَينانِ وَالنَفسُ

وَقَرَّتِ العَينانِ وَالنَفسُ

May God grant him joy in its wake,

May Allah grant it lasting joy

And may both eyes and the soul be gladdened.

Tranquilizing eyes and soul